(A Larger Christian Life) 7. GRACE ABOUNDING
A.B. Simpson teaches that just as nature heals wounds stronger than before, God's grace abounds even more powerfully over sin, bringing victory and transformation.
In this sermon, A.B. Simpson explores the profound truth of Romans 5:20, illustrating how God's grace not only covers sin but surpasses it abundantly. Using vivid natural metaphors like the healing tree and the formation of a pearl, Simpson reveals how pain and brokenness are transformed into strength and beauty through divine grace. He contrasts the fall of Adam with the redemption in Christ, emphasizing the victorious power of God's love over darkness.
Text
"Where sin abounded grace did much more abound." Rom. v: 20.
We find in nature a beautiful approximation to the truth declared in this verse, a sort of parable and symbol of the glory of redemption. It is this. Go into the woods and cut a wound in the side of a living tree, and then go back again a few years later and see how the tree has endeavored to heal its wound and restore the breach by a very beautiful reproductive force. The notch in the trunk is all grown up again. Not, however, with the old fibres, but with far stronger materials; and you will find the grain of the wood interlaced and twisted across the old fibres in a sort of tangle, which all your efforts would frequently be found unable to cleave asunder. In fact, the healed breach is much stronger than any other part of the tree, and nature has not only made good the loss, but far more abundantly brought good out of it.
So, it is said, a broken bone heals much more strongly than the natural bone, as though nature were determined to fortify herself against a second attack, and to turn to account, in double strength, the assault made upon her.
Very beautifully is this illustrated in the formation of the pearl. A little grain of sand or a piercing thorn in the sensitive side of the pearl oyster, irritating its nerves, provokes him, not to retaliate and thus inflict upon himself a greater wound, but to throw around the intruding element a crystalline liquid and to bury it out of sight in a smooth and beautiful gem; so that out of the thorn and the wound come beauty and victory, and the value of the little mollusk is enhanced a thousand-fold by the very incident that threatened his destruction.
This is what the apostle means in a sublimer measure when he sums up his splendid antithesis between sin and salvation, Adam and Christ, the fall and the redemption, with the magnificent declaration, "where sin abounded grace did much more abound." Out of the terrible attack which the powers of darkness hurled against the world, the wisdom and grace of heaven have brought the victory which is to prove the triumph of the ages. Out of the catastrophe which threatened man\
Sermon Outline
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I
- Illustration of nature healing wounds stronger than before
- The tree's wound grows back with stronger fibers
- Broken bones heal stronger to resist future attacks
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II
- The pearl oyster's irritation produces a beautiful pearl
- Pain and intrusion lead to beauty and value
- Nature’s response as a parable for divine grace
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III
- The apostle’s declaration of grace abounding over sin
- Contrast between Adam’s fall and Christ’s redemption
- God’s grace brings ultimate victory over darkness
Key Quotes
“Where sin abounded grace did much more abound.” — A.B. Simpson
“Out of the thorn and the wound come beauty and victory.” — A.B. Simpson
“The healed breach is much stronger than any other part of the tree.” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- Trust that God's grace is more powerful than any sin or failure in your life.
- View your struggles and wounds as opportunities for God to bring greater strength and beauty.
- Embrace the victory offered through Christ's redemption in your daily walk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Romans 5:20 mean by 'where sin abounded grace did much more abound'?
It means that no matter how great sin is, God's grace is even greater and overcomes it abundantly.
How does nature illustrate the concept of grace in this sermon?
Nature shows that wounds heal stronger than before, symbolizing how God's grace restores and strengthens beyond the original state.
What is the significance of the pearl oyster illustration?
It demonstrates how irritation and pain can be transformed into beauty and value, paralleling how grace transforms sin and suffering.
Who is the ultimate source of victory over sin according to the sermon?
God’s wisdom and grace, revealed through Christ, are the ultimate sources of victory over sin.